Philippe and Mireille, owners of Pancito Cafe, are well known in Ojochal. Early in the morning, delicious aromas emanate from the place, the smell of fresh bread, croissants and freshly brewed coffee. They serve breakfast on the large terrace overlooking the garden, covered, with lush vegetation and the river just passing by. The clients arrive, some from Ojochal, others from the surrounding towns many of them good friends who share their news and enjoy delicious food. Pancito Cafe is famous and has become a popular meeting place. There French, Spanish and English are spoken.
The fame is well earned, Philippe learned the baker trade in the ‘70s with his father who had a family business in Lorraine in the East of France. He studied at a trade school and later gave administration classes. In 1985 he went to the United States where he resumed his profession as a pastry chef and worked in kitchens in New York and Boston.
When he returned to France he married Mireille. They both opened their own bakery in Montpellier (south of France) that they had for 20 years, until they felt the urge to travel and live new adventures. Costa Rica was the project. After several trips to this tropic country, they fell in love with Ojochal, where in 2010 they opened the Pancito Café. This is where Philippe bakes homemade bread and prepares the delicious French pastries. Mireille’s specialty is the confection of chocolate truffles. At lunchtime tables of diners form, among them neighbors and travelers anxiously waiting to satisfy their appetite with tarts, sandwiches, crepes, burritos and crispy salads. Recently Pancito Café premiered its new terrace lounge. There is WIFI and you will surely feel very relaxed thanks to the good atmosphere, the friendly attention and above all, the exquisite food. Welcome to Cafe Jardin de Mireille and Philippe.
By Dagmar Reinhard
CONTACT: Pancito Cafe
